Ladle actuating mechanism



y 1931. J.'B. LADD LADLE ACTUATING MECHANISM 2 Shees-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1928 gvv gvroze 4 TTORNEY AM A May 12, 1931. LADD 1,804,471

' LADLE ACTUATYING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 14. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g a" L y a? N i t: r T Q it, Q

- T Z'QBMEEL IN VEN OR BY f f" A TTORNE Y Patented May 12, 1931 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES B. LADD, OF ARDMORE, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES CAST IRON PIPE & FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY LADLE ACTUATING MECHANISM Application filed January 14, 1928. Serial No. 246,681.

My invention relates to ladle actuating mechanism designed to tilt a ladle charged with molten metal in order to pour off its contents and the object of my invention is 5 to provide means for tilting the ladle which will tilt it at a uniform rate of speed and my invention consists, in the first place, in tilting the ladle through mechanism actuated by a constant speed motor, preferably an electric motor and in the second place, in combining with a ladle, pivoted more or less approximately to the pouring lip, and power actuated mechanism for tilting the ladle means acting to maintain an approximately constant load on the motor during the pouring of the ladle by adding to the load on the motor as the load due to the ladle charge diminishes. While my compensating mechanism may be of any convenient kind I prefer to use a counterweight connected in the ladle actuating system so as to increase its leverage as the weight of the charge diminishes.

My invention will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings which illustrate a ladle actuating system provided with my improvements and adapted for pouring molten iron into centrifugal pipe molds of the De Lavaud type.

In the drawings 0 Figure 1 is a plan view of the ladle and runner into which it pours its charge.

Figure 2 is a side elevation on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing also the electric actuating motor and the connections to the ladle including my preferred compensating device.

Figure 3 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2 showing the changed positions of the parts during the pouring operation.

Figure 4 is a plan view taken as on line 44; of Fig. 3 and showing a detail of the electric system controlling the motor.

Figure 5 is an elevation of a detail shown in Fig. 4, and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic showing of the electric circuits and system.

A and A indicate part of the framing of the apparatus; B the runner which delivers the molten iron to the mold, not shown; B an extension of the runner into the top of which the metal is poured. D is a segmental with a rear wall conforming to the segment of a cylinder concentric with the pivoted center upon which the ladle is tilted. C is a lever arm secured to one of the trunnions C and connected with an actuating rod C the lower end of which-is connected to a lever E secured to a shaft E, to which is also secured a segment F, which is given the segmental form shown for the attachment of an actuating rope I but which also serves as a lever for the attachment of the counterbalancing weights indicated at G.

H is an electric motor connected' as shown by a clutch H to a shaft H to which is secured the worm H driving the worm wheel J on shaft J to which shaft is secured the winding drum J The sprocket wheel J is also secured to the shaft J and actuates the sprocket chain J 4 which passes over and drives a sprocket wheel K secured on a shaft K to which are attached contact arms indicated at L, L.

Referring to Fig. 6, showing the electric system for actuating the motor as a constant speed motor, 1 is a motor armature;.2 is the direct current power supply; 3 is a shunt field; 4 the field rheostat; 5 is the starting resistance; 6 a slow down and accelerating contactor; 7 a two pole directional magnetic contactor, 7A being the normally closed contact of the contactor 7; 8 is a two pole directional magnetic contactor and 8A the normally closed contact of contactor 8. 9 is a dynamic braking resistance; 10 an operating coil for the slow down and accelerating contactor 6; 11 is a normally closed contact in of]? position of the master switch; 12 contact of the low voltage relay; 13 the operating coil for the low voltage relay; 14 the master switch with contacts 18 which close in the first pouring or return position of master switch. 15 is the operating coil for the pouring contactor 7 16 is the operating coil for the return contactor 8; 17 indicates the stop limit switches and 18 the master switch contacts which close on the second point pour and return position of master switch; 19 is the operating coil for the high speed contactor 20. 21 is the main line knife switch and 22 is the control circuit knife switch. When the ladle is at rest in either its upper or lower position the master switch 11 is in off position. Low voltage relay 12 is closed when power is applied through the power supply 2 making operation of control possible through master switch contacts 18.

When the ladle is charged and in its lower position and it is desired to actuate the motor to raise the ladle and pour its charge, master switch 14 is thrown to the first position, which starts the motor at slow speed corresponding to the setting of field rheostat 4. When the ladle passes the stop limit switch 17 the motor armature 1 is disconnected from the line and electrical braking is obtained by inserting resistance parallel with the armature 1, thus bringing the motor to a quick stop. To return the ladle to its lower position, master switch 14 is thrown to reverse or second point 18, which starts the motor at its maximum speed. When the ladle passes the limit switch 17 the motor armature 1 is disconnected from the line 2 and electrical braking is obtained by inserting resistance in parallel with armature 1, thus bringing the motor to a quick stop.

Mechanical connection of the motor to the ladle actuating mechanism is through the drum J rope I, segment F, lever B, connecting rod C and lever C In the special construction shown, the counterweights G in the lower position of the ladle lie below the shaft E and are practically out of operation; during the pouring of the ladle the counterweights moving with the segments F act with constantly increasing leverage to increase the load on the motor and their weight and leverage is such that they increase the load on the motor in approximately the same ratio that the motor load is diminished by the pouring of metal from the ladle and in this way a constant load is preserved during the entire pouring operation. It is obvious, of course, that the eounterweights or equivalent mechanism may be inserted in any part of the transmission system, their attachment to the segment F, as shown in the drawing, being a mere matter of convenience.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination of a segmental casting ladle pivotally supported at its pouring lip having vertical side walls and a rear wall having the conformation of a segment of a cylinder concentric with the pivot of the ladle, of a constant speed motor and mechanism actuated by said motor for tilting the ladle adapted to tilt the ladle with constant angular velocity.

2. A ladle pouring appliance comprising a I ladle pivotally supported adjacent to its pouring lip, a motor for tipping the ladle and means operatively connecting the motor to actuate the ladle, the combination therewith of means operative to impose a gradually increasing load on the motor during the tipping of the ladle so as to approximately com nsate for the decreasing load of the ladle and its contents and maintain an approximately constant load on the motor.

3. An apparatus having the features of claim 2 in which the means for counteracting the lessening load on the motor consists in a counterweight actuated to act on the motor with increasing leverage as the ladle is tilted.

JAMES B. LADD. 

